Intermittently operating thread cutting mechanism



July 4, 1933. F. E. DOUGLAS INTERMITTENTLY OPERATING THREAD CUTTING MECHANISM Filed Dec 29, 1952 I5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

Fesoe/c: E. DOUGLAS. BYM

W/TNESS.

CLINTON 5. COBUEN ATTORNEY.

F. E. DOUGLAS July 4, 1933.

INTERMITTENTLY OPERATING THREAD CUTTING MECHANISM Filed Dec. 29, 1952 3 Sheets-:Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

FEEae/c E. DOUGLAS.

W/T/VESS.

CL //v TON 5. COB/JEN.

ATTO RNE Y.

F, E. DOUGLAS July 4, 1933.

INTERMITTENTLY OPERATING THREAD CUTTING MECHANISM Filed Dec. 29, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

fkEDE/c E. DOUGLAS.

W/T/VE-SS.

ATTORNEY.

Patented July 4 1933 i "UNITED STATES P TE OF CE frn nnnrc. E. DOUGLAS, OF HQIEDALE, MAssAcnusEr'rs, Assrenon T DRAPER conroarron, or .nornnnrn, ASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION or MAINE INTERMITTENTLY ornnArme THREADCUTTIKG'MECHANISM':

Applicaticn'filed December 29, 1932. Seria1flloJG49A23.

The present invention relates to thread cutt ng temples for looms, and has more particular reference to means for rendering the thread cutting mechanismthereof intermit- 5 tent in operation. I

In automatic filling replenishing looms, of the type wherein'a bobbin or shuttle containing a fresh supply of filling is automatically inserted when needed, the outgoing filling vl0 end and the incoming endare trimmed ofi' adjacentthe selvage of the cloth within a few picksafter the filling replenishin operation, the cutting or trimming of the filling ends being accomplished by a thread cutting mechanism embodied in the temple. Ordinarily such thread cutting mechanisms are operated by or' through the lay, and operate continuously regardless of whether or not a filling thread is adjacent the temple in position to heart, this construction entailing hundreds of idle operations of the cutting mechanism to each useful cutting stroke.

It has been heretofore proposed to provide the thread cutting temples with a timing mechanism for rendering the cutting mecha nism inoperative after arelatively smallnumber of "picks, and a resetting means, operated upon call for filling replenishment, for resetting the timer and restoring the cutting I mechanism to operation; In general, thetiming device of such prior constructions has included a ratchet wheel together with more or-less complex mechanism for operating the same, although attempts have been made to i employ a frictionallyretarded gravity operated slide, as a timer. The ratchet-wheel 'devicesare too complicated to be'of practical value, and the frictionally retarded slides have proven unreliable, with the result that,

40 insofar as lam aware, no intermittently op erating thread cutting temple of thetypes mentioned is in commercial use. v

I propose to provide a thread cutting temple having a timing device for rendering the thread cutting mechanism inoperative, which timing device shall be simple in construction and reliable in operation. 7 V

To this end the invention comprehends the utilization of a gravity operated rack memher, positively controlled in its movements out of operation;

and capable ofengaging, and rendering inoperative, the'movable member of the thread cutting mechanism. l Two preferred embodiments of the invention are-illustrated 'on the accompanying drawings, in which: 7 Figure '1 a side elevation of the thread cutting temple and associated mechanism, contiguous parts of the loom being shown in section or in dotted outline; I Figure 2 is afragmentaryview,to a larger scale, of the temple. shown in Figure 1, the same being dissociated from the loom Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2,'but showing the thread cutting mechanism locked F igure'r i-is a vertical sectionalview' taken substantially on line 4-4 of Figure 3; t

Figure 5 is a view, in elevation, of a-temple 'emgodying a modified form of my invention; an i Figure 6' is a View in cross-section, taken substantially onv line 6-'6 of-Figur'e 5.

The temple 1, to-which my invention has been applied, is reciprocably mountedin a housing 2 supported on the breast beam 3 in any suitable usual manner, not herein dis- 7 closed.- The temple shown is'of right-hand pattern for holding the cloth selvageonfthe right side of theloom. The temple head, in dicated generally at 4, Figs. 1 and 5, is comprisedof a cap 5-, and pod 6 (see Figure i) housing a temple "roll (not shown),-and also includes a depending heel 7 adapted to be struck by the lay 8 on each'reciprocation ofthe latter. All of the foregoing construction is well known in the art and, therefore, need not be further illustrated or described.

Referring first to Figs. 1 4 inclusive, the thread cutting mechanism proper, illustrated but fragmentarily, includes a, movable cutter member 9 cooperating with'a stationary ledger blade, not shown. The cutter member 9-is provided, at the forward end of the blade portionjthereof, with a downwardly 95 extending heel 10 positioned to be struck by g the lay on each forward beat of the latter. The cutter memb'e'r is normally urged rear- Wardly by means of a suitable springll'. This thread cutting mechanism is well known 100' in the art and is not of my invention. Obviously, other types or forms of cutting mechanism may be substituted for that shown.

As above intimated, I have provided a gravity operated rack, and means for positively restricting, or controlling, the downward movement of the same,'ior rendering the thread cutting mechanism inoperative. The rack,-12, is comprised simply ofa fiat bar having a pin or roller 13 at its upper end, and being provided front and rear with a series of teeth 14, 15. A vertically extending guide for the toothed rackmember 12 is associated with the temple head, preferably'by being fastened to the right-hand end thereof.

. The guide 16, herein disclosed, consists of V abodyportion secured to the templehead,

as by a screw 17, and vertically apertured to receive the rack member 12, the latter being slidable rectilinearly, i. e. vertically,jin the guide. An upwardly projecting extension 17 may be formed on the guide 16, to provide additional support for the rack member.

The rack member is movable between an .upper position, shown in Figure 1, and a lower osition, shown in Figures 3 and l. lVhen in. its lower position, it is adapted to renderthe thread cuttingmechanism inoperative. To this end, it may, be provided at its lower end with means for engaging the movable. cutter memberand holding the latter out of operation. As herein; constructed, the lower front corner 18 of the rack nemberserves as the aforesaid means,,this corner engaging the lug 19 formed on the heel of the movable cutter member 9, as shown more particularlyin Figures 3 ands. It is noted at this timethat the 'rearface of'lug 19 is inclined downwardly and slightly rearwardly when the movable cutter memberoccupies the position shown in Figures 3 and 4,whereby, any slightmo'vementot the member 9, occasioned by its, not being held sothat. heel :10 is. entirelyiorwardly of thetemple heel 'l will result in theracl; dropping down a little farther and; thus holding the member Sin its extreme forward position.

, It has been stated that the rack 12 is operated by gravity. 7 Obviously, gravity need not be the only force involved. Als'o, downward movement of the rack is positively controlled, or restricted, by meanshereincon stitutedby a single, double-toothed pawl positioned parallel to the plane of movement of the movable cutter member and operated directly thereby. Thepawl shown is comprised of a bar 20 pivoted on scre w21 in the guide 16, spring steel wires 22, 23 fixed in the bar 20, and the double-toothed member 24 carried by the wires and operating through a slot. formed in the guide 16. I w

The wires, eaten-d, at their lower ends, on opposite sides of the lug 1 9, with a proper amount of lost motion, whereby reciprocation of thecutter member serves to oscillate the pawl. The teeth 14 of the rack are staggered with relation to teeth 15, i. e. each tooth 14 is opposite the space between two, teeth 15.

Thus, each complete reciprocation of the cutter member will, through the pawl, permit ioreit is rendered inoperative.

Any suitable'means, operative upon call. for filling replenishment, may be provided I for raising the rack. The particular means employed atpresent consists of an arm 25 fixed on rod 26 and connected'with bell-crank lever 27 by means of alink 28. The rod 26 isausual part of the filling replenishing mechanism, and isoscillatedin the direction 'ot the arrow, Figure 1, upon call for such replenislnnent. The arm 290i the bell crank lever .26 engages under roller 13 on rack 12 to raise the latter at the desired time.

The thread cutting mechanism illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6. includes the movable cutter member 30-, cooperating with'a stationary ledger blade and having a downwardly extending heel 31, as in the previously described construction.

gravity operated rack-33 is substantially circular in cross-section, except that it is 'flattoned, or slabbed, on the front side to provide a plane surface in which is formed a series of teeth 34%. V g v v I The guide 35 for therack is, in the present instance, cast integrally with the temple head. This guide extends approximately vertically, although it shouldbe understood that when I say the guide is vertical? I mean merely that it is approximately so, as a slight deviation from a true plumb line will in no wise affect the operation of the rack, and such deviation may be intentional, or may be merely an incident to the varying of the position inwhich the temple is mounted on the loom. I

Forwardly extending ears36 are formed integral with the guide, on oppositesides of i a slot 37 therein. A double pointed, double acting pawl 38 is pivoted on a pin39 in the cars 36 and cooperates with the teeth 34 on the rack member. A'steel spring 4.0, fixed to the pawl, extends downwardly and is looped around a pin in a lug ll formed on the movable cutter member 30. The spring $0 is of suflicientstrength that the first portion of the forward, cutting movement of the cutter member 30 will result in the pawl being rotated,cloclrwise in Fig; 5, to release its lower point from one, tooth in the rack and engage its upper point a slight distance beneath another tooth thereof, whereupon the rack slides downwardly, by gravity, until the The cutter memberfBO is normally urged rearwardly by a spring 32. The

last mentioned tooth contacts the upper point of the pawl. Continued forward movement of the movable cutter, after moving the pawl,

, merely flexes the spring 40. When the cutter returns to its rearward position, the rack will slide down another half-tooth distance, by a similar process.

An inclined face 42, formed on the movable cutter member is engaged by a similarly shaped face on the lower end of the rack 33 when the latter is in its lowermost position, thus locking the movable cutter member out of operation. The rack may be raised, at the time of transfer, by suitable connections to a bell-crank lever 43 which engages a pin 44 in the upper end of the rack.

It is, of course, to be understood that numerous changes may be made in the construction shown, without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A thread" cutting temple for automatic filling replenishing looms comprising, a temple head, thread cutting mechanism positioned therein, a gravity operated rack adapted when in its lower position to render said thread cutting mechanism inoperative, means operative upon call for filling replenishing to raise said rack and thereby restore said thread cutting mechanism to operation, and means including a pawl for controlling the downward movement of the said rack.

2. A thread cutting temple for automatic filling replenishing looms comprising, a tem-,

-ple head, thread cutting mechanism' posie tioned therein, a gravity operated rack adapted when in its lower position to render said thread cutting mechanism inoperative, means operative upon call for filling replenishment to raise said rack and thereby restore said thread cutting mechanism to operation, and means including a pawl oscillated from the said thread cutting mechanism for positively restricting the downward movement of the said rack.

' 3. A thread cutting temple for automatic filling replenishing looms comprising, a temple head, thread cutting mechanism positioned therein, said thread cutting mechanism including a lay-operated movable cutter memher, a gravity operated rack adapted when in its lower position to render said movable member inoperative, means operating upon call for filling replenishment to raise said rack and thereby restore said movable member to operation, and means including a pawl for positively restricting the downward movement of the said rack.

. tending guide associated with said temple head, a toothed rack member mounted in said guide for vertical sliding movements, said rack being'provided at itslower end with means for engaging said movable member and holding the latter out of operatlon, means operative upon call for filling replenishment to raise said rack and thereby restore said movable member to operation, and means including a pawl operated by said movable member for lowering said rack.

5. A thread cutting temple for automatic filling replenishing looms comprising, a temple head, thread cutting mechanism positioned therein, said thread cutting mechanism including a movable cutter member adapted to be reciprocated by the lay, a guide associated with said temple head, a toothed rack member mounted in said guide and movable rectilinearly to and from a position whereit directly contacts the said movable member and holds the latter out of operation, means operative upon call for filling replenishment to withdraw the said rack from said position and thereby restore said movable member to operation and means for returning said rack to said position in a pre determined number of picks, the said lastmentioned means including a pawl positioned parallel to the plane of movement of the said cutter member and-operated directly thereby.

6. A thread cutting temple for automatic filling replenishing looms comprising, a temple head, thread cutting mechanism .positioned therein, said thread cutting mechanism including a movable cutter member adapted to be reciprocated by the lay, a vertically extending guide associated with said temple head, a gravity'operated rack member mounted-in said guide for vertical sliding movements, said rack being provided at its lower end with means for engaging said movable member and holding the latter out of operation, means operative upon call for fillings replenishing to raise said rack andthereby restore said movable member to operat on,

and means including a pawl for restricting the downward movement of the said rack, said pawl being positioned parallel to the plane of movement of the said cutter member and operated directly thereby.

FREDRIC E. DOUGLAS. 

